30 



RIO JANEIRO, BRAZIL. 



hour more arrived off " Rat Island," where we let-go the 

 anchor. - 



We were much disappointed not to find the " Relief" here. 

 The usual passage for vessels bound to Rio from our ports is 

 fifty days, but she had already been out ninety days ; we 

 therefore began to feel anxious about her. 



There were a great many foreign vessels in the harbor, and 

 not less than fifty or sixty were American, belonging to Balti- 

 more and New York. The trade with the United States has 

 greatly increased. Within the last two or three years from 

 two to three hundred American vessels take and bring cargoes 

 to and from the United States. They bring out flour and 

 cotton goods, and return loaded with sugar, coffee, India- 

 rubber, medicines, and spices of every kind. 



I visited the city as often as my duties would permit, but it 

 is too well known to require much to be said of it. It is built 

 on the west side of the bay formed by the debouche of the 

 river of Janeiro, and has a very picturesque appearance from 

 the water. It is the largest and one of the most flourishing 

 cities in South America. At the last census Rio Janeiro had 

 250,000 inhabitants. It contains many rich churches, two 

 hospitals, besides a miserecordia, a college, a museum open 

 twice a week, two theatres, one opera, and several public 

 gardens. 



The population is perhaps more mixed than that of any 

 other city in the world. It consists of Europeans, mulattoes, 

 mamalucoes, or a mixed caste, between whites and aborigines, 

 free negroes born in Brazil, manumitted Africans, mestizoes 

 or zamboes, between the mamalucoes and negroes, &c, &c. 



The Imperial Palace fronts the Grand Plaza. It is a large 

 three-story, stone edifice, with a handsome portico in front. 

 The apartments occupied by the royal family are spacious and 



